The government is trying to attract US tech companies to the UK by tempting them with the prospect of being treated on the NHS as part of the “expat experience”. Alongside access to free healthcare, US companies who take advantage of the UK Trade & Investment’s HQ-UK project are being offered exclusive perks such 24 hour processing for visa applications, a complete concierge service to manage the transition of the company and a relationship manager to help newly-arrived firms get connected. Whether the lure of waiting in a NHS walk-in centre is enough to tempt the yanks away from Ireland’s 12.5 per cent corporation tax rate is yet to be seen…

Well done to the FT’s Chris Giles, George Parker and Vincent Boland for the front page confirmation today of Guido’s story from back in October about the Tory offer to the Northern Irish unionists on corporation tax. As Guido’s readers in The Sun and here already know, the Tories have promised a deal on business taxes to allow Northern Ireland to compete with the Republic’s lower taxes. Guido’s unionist source told him it was likely the corporation tax rate would be cut from 20% to “12% or 13%” to compete with the lower tax rates offered by Dublin. “Anything but 12.5%, we’re not harmonising with the Republic. No!”

Today Ireland is voting in a referendum to abolish the Seanad – the second chamber of parliament which costs some €20 million a year to provide a sinecure for recycled politicians who have been kicked out of the properly elected chamber by the voters. Ireland is weighed down with too many politicians. New Zealand got rid of their second chamber and they carried on just fine…

As revealed in yesterday’s Sun column, two-faced Chuka Umunna isn’t so shy about the ‘British Obama’ tag when he’s away from the public eye. When the President visited Ireland in the summer of 2011 he delighted his hosts by telling them of his Moneygall ancestral roots and dubbing himself Barry O’Bama. This year it was Chuka’s turn, speaking to guests at the Labour Irish Society’s St Patrick’s Day shindig of a relative from Sligo. Telling them they could call him Chuka O’Munna may have given the game away…

I am writing to remind you of the invitation to attend invite tomorrow’s briefing with Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew next Wednesday, 16 January. The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the current political situation and in particular concern over the ongoing violence and protest in the north.

Many thanks to those who have already responded. If you are unable to attend but would like to send a member of staff to represent you, they would be most welcome.

If have any queries, please contact me on 07XXX XXXXXXX.

We very much hope to see you.

Best wishes,

Jayne fisher Sinn Fein MPs

Despite refusing to be MPs they’re happy to use Parliament’s facilities to grandstand then…

Ireland’s governing Fine Gael party is campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote in a referendum on the EU’s Fiscal Compact Treaty. Trust in politicians in Ireland is so low that they are getting business CEOs to front the campaign with endorsements […]

On Thursday Dublin hosted a speech by Jörg Asmussen, a member of the Executive Board of the ECB, which in monetary and fiscal terms is now effectively the ruling neo-colonial power in Ireland, with German financial ‘advisers’ having been present […]